Faucet



Aug. 7, 1923. 1,463.80@

T. COONAN FAUGET Filed Deo. 22, 1921 2 `Sheets-Shed l ATTORNEYS WITNESS/f8 Aug. 7,1923.

T. COONAN FAUCET 1921 '2 sheets-'sheet 2 Filed Dec. 2.2,

WTNESSES Patented Aug 7, 1923.

PATENT i OFIC'E.

THOMAS Coenen, or wasrrrneron, mere-refr or COLUMBIA.

FAUCET.

Application filed December 22, 1921. Serial No. 52V,2G3.l

l TOUZZ whom t may concern: f

Beit known that I, THOMAS CooNaN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Faucets, of which the following is a specification. f

f Thisfinvention relates to an improvement in faucets.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide an improved faucet which forjsome purposes, as for instance, the filling of cups, glasses or the like, is adapted to operate as an 'automatic faucet in-that the valve of the faucet may be opened by positioning the glass or cup under the mouth of the faucet and in engagement with the operating mechanism of the valve thereof and in that the valve is automatically closed as soon as the cup or glass is moved away from the faucet and out of engagement with the op-` erating mechanism o-f the valve, the faucet being also adapte-d to operate as a nonautomatioiinture in that its valve may be releasably locked in openposition by a manual manipulation of the operating mechanism of the valve whereby the filling of buckets or other relatively large containers may be carried out without the necessity of holding the valve open during the entire filling opera tion.

:Another important obj ect of the invention is to" provide a faucet of this character wherein the iow of the fluid through the faucet is at first retarded so that irrespective `of the manner in which the operating mechanism of the valve is actuated, the liquid will be delivered to the glass or cup in such manner as to iill the saine without splashing therefrom.

` A further obi ect is to provide a faucet of this character wherein the valve with which the faucet is fitted is equipped with packing means'which automatically compensates for the preferred embodiment of the invention in use as an automatic self closing valve;

Figure 2 is a group view in perspective, showing the operating lever, the follower block and the valve and its stem prior to assembiy;y

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in side elevation, showing the relative position of the operating lever and follower block when the valve is closed;

Figure 4C is a view in vertical section, showing the valve openfwhen used as an automatio self closing faucet; and

Figure 5 is a similar view, showing the valve open when the faucet is used as a nonautomatic fixture. i

Referring to the drawings wherein for they sake of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention the numeral 10 designates the body portion of the faucet with which an inlet portion or end 11 and a spout or delivery end 12' are integrally formed. The body portion 10 is provided with 'a ported partition 13 which is disposed between the inlet end 11 and the delivery end of mouth 12 of the faucet, and above this 'i I portedpartition a removable plug 111- is arranged to admit of the assembly of the valve mechanism to be hereinafter more fully described.

The faucet body 10 is fitted with avalve, designated generally at 15 and which inchicles a stem 16 slidably mounted in a bear-y ing 17 provided therefor in the faucet body and through a sleeve 18 which upstands from the body of the faucet and which snugly embraces the valve stem 16. A valve head 2O is integrally formed or otherwise secured to the stem 16 and includes a slot 20a adapted to receive a screw driver orlike tool for vfacilitating assembly and disassembling. The head 20 is formed with a cavity 21, the outer wall of which is curved or concaved, as shown in Figure 4, and in this cavity an aligning washer 22 operates, the alining washer 22 having a curved wall or surface 22a which engages the curved wall of the cavity 21 to carry out its alining function. The alining washer is constructed of metal and coacts with a packing washer 23 of fiber with which it is engaged. A retaining nut 25 is threaded on the stem 16 and maintains the packing washer and alining washer in proper position. rihe retaining nut 25 is provided with a depending skirt 26 which slides over the sleeve 18. The

t of the valve stem 16 and sleeve 18, and the fit of the sleeve 18 and the skirt 26 are snug sliding and working fits, and these elements effectively pack the valve stem and prevent leakage of water around the same in the open position of the valve. As shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5, the outer peripheral surface 26 of the skirt 26 is tapered and the nut 25 is correspondingly tapered so that the skirt at its lower end is smaller in its cross sectional area than it is at its upper end and than the nut 25 is. Thus when the valve is raised to open position the opening through which the liquid may flow gradually increases in size so that the velocity and amountl of the fluid gradually increases whereby the fluid or liquid is received in the glass so as to fill the same and is not splashed therefrom as it would were the liquid allowed to flow forcibly and violently at the very start of the operation.

The valve 15 is spring closed and for this purpose a follower 30 is threaded on the lower end of the valve stem exterior-ly of the faucet. The follower 30 includes a laterally extending flange 31 against which one. end of a coil spring 3,2 bears, the other end of the coil spring engaging the base of a socket 33 formed in the body portion of the faucet. A set screw 34 secures the follower in adjusted position on the valve stem. Thel coil spring 32 urges the valve stem 16 downwardly so as to close the valve 15, it being tensioned to carry out this function. A housing 35 is integrally formed with the body of the faucet and includes spaced parallel walls 36 which engage the follower 30 and constrain it to partake of rectilinear motion, these walls 36 constituting a `guide and also serving to preclude rotation of the follower. The walls of the housing 35 depend for a substantial distance below the lower end of the follower in the closed position of the valve and arranged between the walls 36 of the housing and pivotally mounted thereupon is an operating lever 40, the operating lever being pivotally mounted upon the housing by means of a pivot pin 41. The operating lever includes a body portion 42 from which operating arms V43 extend, the operating arms diverging from each other and terminating in offset or rounded ends 43a adapted for engagement with the glass, tumbler, cup or the like. The operatmg'lever has integrally formed therewith an operating. cam. head 45 through which the pivot pin 41 extends and with which the head of the follower is engaged. This cam head is provided with a flat surface 0r seat 46 upon which the follower 30 rests in the closed position of the valve and the spring 32l resiliently maintains the follower in this position and also resiliently maintains the operating lever in this position, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. At the rear end of this surface 46 a rounded corner or camming surface 47 is provided and beyond this camming surface the head is inclined or cut away, as at 48,thus when a glass is engaged with the curved ends of the operating arms 43 the operating lever is swung in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4 and the corner 47 of the head swings upwardly and moves the follower' and conse quently the valve and valve stem upwardly,

as shown in Figure 4, the inclined portion of the head, designated at 48, giving the requisite clearance for this action. In order `to prevent the cam head from being swung so far as to engage the inclined portion48 of the cam head with the base of the fol'- lower, the operating lever is provided with stop lugs or shoulders 49 which engage with' this purpose the cam head 45 is provided with a forwardly extending portion or nose 50 presenting afcurved camming portion 51 and a flat seat 52. When it isfdesired to open the valve 15 and maintainit in open position one of the operating arms 43 is grasped and is pulled upwardly toward the faucet so as to swing thefcam head in a counter clockwise direction. This swings the camming portion 51 of the nose 50 into voperative engagement with the follower and moves the follower and the valve stem and also the valve upwardly. This action progresses until the seat 52 comes into engagement with the base of the follower and at this time the valve l5 is in full open position. The flat seat 52 when engaged with the base of the follower holds vit in'open position. Then it is desired to move the valve 15 from this open position shown in Figure 5 to closed `position it is necessary to grasp the arms 43 of the operating lever and move this operating lever downward lor in a clockwise direction 'as the first phases of this movement are against the action of the spring` 32. The latter phases thereof may be brought about by this coil spring.

VVh'en the valve 15 is in closed position the port of the partition 13 iseffectively sealed and this irrespective of whether the valve is received squarely on its seat. This is due to the action of the alining washer 22 which coacts with the curved wall of the cavity 21 to move the packing washer 23 to such a degree as to compensate forthe improper positioning 4of the valve l5..v It

is to be understood that it is necessary for the alining washer to move the packing washer only a very small distance usually only several thousandths of an inch, but nevertheless its action is very important, for were the packing washer to be displaced at any point even several thousandths of an inch from its seat a certain amount of leakage would ensue.

In operation when the faucet is used for the filling of glasses, tumblers, cups or the like, the glass, tumbler or cup is engaged with the voperating arms 43 and pressed lightly against the same. This opens the valve as has been described and the filling of the glass or the like is carried out. As soon as the glass is moved out of engagement with the operating arms the valve l5 is automatically closed and further flow of liquid is precluded. When it is desired to fill a bucket or relatively large container the operating arms are moved manually to the position shown in Figure 5 and after the filling operation has been completed they are again moved manually back to closed position. Thus the invention .is readily utilized either as an automatic or self closing valve or as iion-automatic fixture.

I claim:

l. A faucet comprising a body portion having an inlet end and a delivery end and a ported partition separating said ends, said ported partition having a valve seat, a valve cooperable with said valve seat and having a valve stem extending exteriorly of said body portion, a follower having threaded connection with said valve stem eXteriorly of said faucet, a housing carried by the faucet and slidably receiving said follower, a coil springengageable with said follower for urging said valve to closed position, and operating means for said valve including an operating lever having diverging operating arms, a cam head including a flat surface engageable with the follower when the valve is in closed position, and a camming surface comprising a rounded corner engageable with said follower for urging said valve to open position, stop lugs carried by the operating lever and engageable with the housing for limiting the opening movement of said valve by said corner, said cam head also having a forwardly projecting nose having a camming surface, said nose having a flat seat engageable with the follower for maintaining the valve open when said lever is moved in one direction.

2. A faucet comprising a body portion rhaving an inlet and a delivery end and a ported partition separating said ends, said ported partition having a valve seat, a valve cooperable withsaid valve seat and having a valve stem extending `exteriorly of said body portion, a follower having threaded connection with said valve stem exteriorly of said faucet, a housing carried by the faucet and slidably receiving said follower,

a coil spring engageable with said follower for urging said valve to closed position, and operating means for said valve including an operating lever having diverging 0perating arms, a cam head including a flatthe valve including an operating lever hav-` ing a cam `head including a camming surface engageable with the follower when the lever is moved in one direction for urging the valve to open position, said cam head also having a forwardly projecting nose having a camming surface and a fiat seat, the camming surface and the fiat seat being successively engageable with the follower when the lever is moved in the opposite direction for opening the valve and maintaining the valve open.

4. A faucet including a body portion provided with a valve seat, a valve cooperable with said valve seat, spring means for urging said valve to `closed position, and a single operating means for said valve adapt ed to be engaged and moved in one direction by liquid containing means in such manner as to permit 0f automatic closing of the valve by said spring means as soon as the containing means is disengaged from the operating means and also adapted to be manually moved in an opposite direction to releasably maintainsaid valve open.

5. A faucet comprising a body portion having a valve seat, a valve cooperable with said valve seat and including a valve stem and a head carried by the valve stein provided with a cavity around said valve stem,

the cavity having an outer curved wall, an

alining washer having a curved w-all cooperable with the curved wall of the cavity, a packing washer engaged with said alining washer, means for retaining said washers in proper position, and springl means for urging said valve to closed position.

THOMAS oooNAN. 

